Word scrambles to make, print and solve

Sentence Scramble Maker

Pick a sentence set or type your own, then unscramble the sentences online or print a worksheet with cut-apart strips.

A sentence scramble is a sentence whose words have been shuffled, and the task is to put them back in the right order. This free sentence scramble maker builds them for you in the browser. You can use it as a scrambled sentences game on screen, or print the same puzzles as a sentence jumble worksheet for class or home practice.

You can choose from five built-in sets of sentences written for this site, or type your own in My sentences. Each set has 30 to 32 sentences, and the tool picks the number you ask for at random, so each round can differ. Printed puzzles can be numbered worksheets or cut-apart word strips, with an optional answer key.

How to make a sentence scramble worksheet

  1. Choose a sentence set: Grade 1, Grade 2-3, ESL questions, ESL daily routines, or Longer sentences. To use your own sentences, choose My sentences.
  2. If you chose My sentences, type one sentence per line. Each line needs 2 to 25 words, and you can enter up to 60 lines. Lines that are skipped are listed with the reason, so check that list before you print.
  3. Set Number of sentences from 5 to 30.
  4. Under Capital letters, pick “Capital on the first word (a hint)” or “Make every word lowercase”.
  5. Under End punctuation, pick “Attached to the last word”, “Its own tile”, or “Remove it”.
  6. Under Display, pick “Word boxes (for cut and paste)” or “Words separated by slashes”.
  7. In Print settings, set the Worksheet title and Instruction line. The defaults are “Sentence Scramble” and “Put the words in order to make a sentence.”
  8. Choose a Layout, either “Numbered worksheet” or “Cut-apart word strips”, and then choose Paper: Letter or A4.
  9. Tick Name and date line, Writing line under each sentence, or Answer key page if you want them.
  10. Press Print / Save PDF. To print only the answers, press Print answer key only. To get a new random selection, press New sentences.

For online practice, tap word tiles in the order you want, and tap a placed word to take it back. Check tells you how many words are left, or says “Not quite” if the order is wrong. Clear, Show answer and Next sentence do what they say.

What are scrambled sentences and why are they used in class?

Scrambled sentences are ordinary sentences whose words have been shuffled, so the reader has to rebuild the original order. Teachers use them to practise word order, capital letters, end punctuation, and reading fluency. In ESL classes, they are often used to practise question word order, such as turning do / live? / Where / you into “Where do you live?”

The tool follows three rules when it scrambles. The new word order always differs from the original. With three or more words, the first word does not stay first, and with four or more words at most half the words stay in their original place, whenever the sentence allows it. These rules stop a puzzle from being solved by accident.

Here is real output for “The cat sat on the mat.” with the capital kept and the punctuation attached: sat / cat / The / mat. / on / the. Cut-apart strips use the same idea. Each sentence’s words sit in boxes with dashed cut lines, so students can move the pieces around a desk.

Should the first word keep its capital letter?

For most learners, yes. A capital on the first word tells the reader where the sentence starts, and punctuation attached to the last word tells them where it ends. These are useful hints for beginning readers, and they let a child check a finished sentence by eye.

Making every word lowercase removes those hints and makes the puzzle harder, because students must work out the structure from grammar alone. I and I’m stay capital in this mode. Using the same sentence lowercase with its punctuation as a separate tile gives sat / the / cat / . / on / mat / the, where the period becomes one more piece to place. To see the answers on screen before printing, tick “Show the answers in the preview”.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a sentence scramble worksheet with my own sentences?

Use the steps above, starting at step 2. Your own sentences need 2 to 25 words each, and any skipped lines are listed with the reason, so you can fix them and print again.

How do I cut and paste sentence strips?

Open Print settings and set Layout to “Cut-apart word strips”. Each sentence prints as a row of word boxes with dashed cut lines; print the page and cut along them. Press New sentences whenever you want a fresh set of strips.

Can the tool unscramble a sentence I have?

No. The tool does not guess the order of a sentence you already have. It makes scrambled sentences from sentences you know and checks the order that you build. To use a sentence from your class, enter it under My sentences, print it, and let students rebuild it.

Which sentence set should I pick?

Choose Grade 1 for sentences of 4 to 6 words, and Grade 2-3 for 6 to 9 words. Use ESL questions for question word order, ESL daily routines for everyday actions of 5 to 10 words, and Longer sentences for 10 to 14 words.

Should I print the answer key?

Yes, if you will be marking the work or want students to check their own. Tick Answer key page to add it to the worksheet, or press Print answer key only to print it alone.